Alves' brother blasts prankster's fake claims ex-Barca star had taken his life

Dani Alves' brother has blasted an Internet prankster whose fake claims Dani Alves had killed himself in prison went viral overnight.

The footballer's press advisor Acaz Felleger said they were considering legal action against Rio de Janeiro-based Paulo Albuquerque over his social media post.

Albuquerque, who describes himself on X, formerly Twitter, as a lover of football, beer and a beautiful woman, wrote last night: 'The information I'm receiving is that Daniel Alves has killed himself.'

He added in a second post eight hours later, after his initial message to his 12,600 followers had gone viral on social media: 'People, for the love of God, what sort of repercussion is this?

'I was referring to my cousin Danielzinho from the city of Nova Iguacu who had disappeared, but has now been found alive.'

Alves' brother Ney, who travelled to Barcelona last month to see the footballer tried for rape ahead of his conviction and four-and-a-half year jail sentence, said in a furious Instagram Live response:

'How cruel human beings can be!'

Showing the Brazil international's family still believe he is innocent despite three judges finding him guilty of forcing himself on a 23-year-old woman in a toilet at upmarket Barcelona nightclub Sutton in the early hours of December 30 2022, he added: 'He's already been convicted on the word of a woman who entered a men's toilet to do what only he and her know.

'He's already been convicted. Is that not enough?

'Now the madness is people want him dead. They want to see my brother dead. How cruel is that!

'My dad is more than 70 years old and my mum is more than 60.

'Do people like this not have family?'

Journalist Mr Felleger, who represents Dani Alves, also denied the fake claims Alves had committed